Desperate Times
by DarkPoisonousLove
Summary: Set after 6x08 "I'll be Your Mirror". The Queen has to make a choice - her sister's life or her alliance with Gold. What will she choose and what will her choice bring to her and her better half? Rating may change as the story goes on. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

It is well past midnight when Regina finally gets home. It was an exhausting day but she had to make sure that the queen wouldn't be able to get anywhere near Henry and since he was staying with Emma that meant putting every kind of protection spell she knew of on the blonde's house. It took a while but in the end she was certain that her evil half wouldn't be able to get in Emma's house.

Paradoxically, when she enters her living room and turns the lights on, she finds the queen sitting on the couch.

"Well, it was about time you showed up," the queen says. She looks impatient and Regina notices that she sounds worried but none of that matters to her, only the savage rage that overwhelmed her upon seeing her other half.

"What are you doing in my house?" A fireball instinctively appears in her hand despite the knowledge that she can't hurt the queen. "How could you do tha-"

"Rumple wants me to kill Zelena."

And just like that the fireball in her hand is gone. All the anger at both the queen and Zelena is replaced with fear that is growing by the second. She still hasn't forgiven Zelena for Robin but that doesn't mean that she wants her to die. Her sister is the only alive relative she has except for little Robin. "You won't, will you?" she asks with wide eyes, her voice unsteady. She knows the queen's craving for affection but she also knows her want for revenge and she has no idea which one will win out. The painful memory of killing her father invades her mind and tears spring to her eyes.

The queen seems to know what she's thinking for she looks just as miserable. "I won't make that mistake twice," she says quietly, her voice is full of remorse. She seems small and worn out. Regina knows the feeling, remembers it all too well from the countless nights she has spent awake, feeling alone and hated by everyone. Even now when she knows there are people who love her, she often wakes in the middle of the night haunted by nightmares and she often rubs the skin of her throat, trying to forget the sword pressed against it and the three pairs of green eyes blazing with hatred she's just seen in her sleep. "Help me?" She barely hears it but her other half's request startles her out of her thoughts and for that she's grateful.

The queen extends her hand and Regina can see the despair in her eyes but she still hesitates. For all she knows that can be a trick, another scheme towards the so badly desired revenge. She knows she can't trust her. Then she remembers all the times when she needed someone to help her, someone to believe in her but no one did and she takes the queen's hand even though she has no idea what the plan is and what she is supposed to do. As they dissolve in purple smoke she feels better than she has ever since she used that serum.

* * *

Zelena wakes up when she hears an engine roaring outside the farm. She barely manages to get out of her bedroom when the front door opens and her sister comes in. Both of them actually. As much as she is surprised to see the queen, Regina's appearance is even more shocking.

"What are you doing here?" The question is directed mostly at Regina.

"There's no time for that," the queen cuts in. "You have to take the baby, get in the car and leave town."

"What? I'm not going anywhere." Zelena is perplexed and irritated. First they both abandon her and now they just barge in her house in the middle of the night, demanding that she leave town. She is sick of the way they both treat her. One thinks she is better than her, the other thinks she is more evil than her. They both forget that she's the big sister and they can't boss her around.

"Zelena-" the queen starts but this time Regina is the one to interrupt.

"Gold wants you dead." As if that's news.

"Ever so subtle," Zelena mocks. "He can't hurt me. I took care of that back in New York."

"Yes, but he can still send someone else to kill you." The mayor says patronizingly as if she's talking to a small child and her sister doesn't even try to suppress the roll of her eyes.

"Rumple's the only one who can hurt me in this town but thanks to the deal we made he doesn't have that chance." Zelena says in the same tone and is satisfied to see that Regina is getting annoyed.

"You know it's not that simple. You know he won't stop before he gets what he wants. Why don't you listen to your common sense for once?" Regina raises her voice.

"Because I'm not you and I don't run from my problems!" Zelena yells in response. In that moment Robin starts crying, apparently awoken by the shouting. The redhead rushes to the other room to take the baby from her crib and rock her back to sleep. She hears footsteps of only one person and thinks it is the queen but when she turns around it is Regina who stands in front of her. She's ready to throw some snarky remark in her face but something in the look of her sister stops her.

"Don't let her grow the way you've grown." The words hit Zelena square in the chest and she can't breathe. Just the thought of her daughter growing like she had – without a mother to love and support her – is too painful to bear. She can only nod at her sister.

They quickly pack two suitcases – one for Zelena and one for Robin – and all four of them are in the car as soon as possible.

"How are we going to leave?" Zelena asks once the town line comes into sight. "You sealed the town line, remember?"

The queen, who's in the passenger seat, turns around to look at her. "Yes, but there is still a way to leave town." There's a swirl of purple smoke and a scroll appears in her hand.

"You will do that for me?" Zelena asks and her voice is shakier than she hoped it to be. In fact, she's close to crying. She saw the look in Regina's eyes when the scroll appeared and knows her sister is plotting how to use it to help Snow and Charming. She knows that this can ruin the Queen's plan and it really means a lot to her.

"Of course. You're my sister." The queen smiles at her and cups her cheek. The redhead is surprised by the contact but manages a faint smile. She catches a glimpse of Regina in the rearview mirror and she can swear she saw jealousy in her eyes.

The car stops and the queen says her goodbye before she gets out of the vehicle, leaving the scroll on her seat. Zelena looks at her one last time, thinking that she'll miss her. She'll miss Regina too when she leaves her in Boston and comes back to Storybrooke.

Just when the car crosses the town line, Ingrid's scroll, which is Regina's ticket back into town, disappears in a cloud of purple smoke. The brunette hits the brakes but the spell on the town line practically forces the car out of town and Regina almost loses control of the vehicle. She manages to stop though and jumps out of the car but there is nothing she can do. The scroll is gone and so are her chances of getting home.

 **A/N: I plan on continuing this story but I have no idea when i will be able to because I am very busy right now.**

 **Reviews are greatly appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Finally posting the second chapter. Eight months later. Wow! Sorry for the long wait. I was totally uninspired to write about OUAT. I really hope the next chapter won't take so long.**

Regina just stares at the empty road in front of her. She clenches her fists, trying to suppress the desire to hit something. She should've known this was going to happen.

"What the hell, sis?"

Regina only notices that Zelena's next to her when she speaks. She didn't hear her approaching. She can't tell who the question is directed at – her or the Queen. She doesn't care. She only wants to scream. Scream at the Queen, scream at Zelena, scream at herself even.

"You could've killed us all!" Zelena is angry too. That much is obvious.

Regina couldn't care less at the moment. If her sister is looking for a fight, she'll be happy to give her one. She turns around, ready to snap at the redhead, but she sees the fear and worry in her eyes and the way she's clutching the baby to her chest, desperately wishing to keep her safe, and she bites her tongue. Zelena has the right to be angry. She's a mother just like her and she only wants to protect her child.

"Henry!" Regina says and her voice almost breaks.

The anger in her sister's eyes flickers and dies and there's only understanding left in them. The silence gets awkward and the brunette has to say something.

"I don't know if… _when_ I'll see him again." She has to believe that she'll find a way to get back to her son. Believing is not her strong suit but that's all she can do for now. At least until she finds a way to get back into town. It can take weeks, months or even years though. And there's that treacherous voice in her head that tells her that she's sealed out of Storybrooke while Emma's still there and won't miss a single moment of Henry's life.

No! She can't think like that. They've come a long way since those days when they were fighting over their son. They're both his mothers. They're friends and they help each other.

"Emma!" Regina exclaims as if she's just remembered the blonde's existence and takes her phone out of her pocket.

It takes Emma a while to answer. "Regina, what the hell?" She sounds disoriented. "It's four in the morning." The brunette hears a muffled 'What's up love?' that obviously comes from Hook.

"Emma, I need your help. I'm right outside of town and I have no way to come back in."

"Wait a second!" The Savior is no longer sleepy, her whole attention is on Regina now. "What do you mean you're outside of town?"

Regina explains as patiently as she can but she still has to make an effort to keep her voice calm while the blonde is shooting question after question at her.

"Emma!" The brunette snaps, interrupting the other woman. She regrets it when she practically feels the Savior wince.

"Yes?"

"You need to find that scroll." Regina's eyes are full of tears. She turns her back to her sister to prevent her from noticing. "Or I'll never see Henry again." Her voice betrays her.

"Hey, Regina, don't think like that," Emma tries to soothe her. "You'll see him again very soon. I promise."

A tear falls down Regina's cheek and she swallows in an attempt to find her voice. "Thank you."

"I'm on my way," Emma says and hangs up.

Regina clutches the phone with both hands in front of her chest as if she's praying, her head is slightly bowed.

Zelena thinks she's never seen her sister in such state. It tugs at her heartstrings and she closes the distance between them, putting her hand on Regina's shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

The brunette pulls away from her as if her touch is poisonous. She doesn't even look at her. "Not thanks to you."

Zelena's anger is ignited again. She was trying to help but her sister only sees her as a problem. "Well, I didn't ask you to do anything for me," she spits out.

"No, you didn't." Regina finally turns around and Zelena is surprised when she sees the tears that are falling from her sister's eyes. "But I couldn't leave you in danger. You are my sister." The brunette heads back to the car.

Zelena only follows her, not knowing what to say.

* * *

Emma has no idea where to look for the Queen. She can be at Zelena's farm, at Regina's vault, anywhere actually. She remembers Regina told her that every magic has a signature unique to its user. She concentrates on what she's felt when she's been around the Queen. She senses something. It reminds her of Regina but not as she is now. It feels like Madam Mayor and yet it's not exactly the same. It's darker but not as powerful, not as threatening as Regina during the First Curse.

She lets the magic lead her and finds herself in front of Regina's mansion. She didn't expect that but when she enters she finds the Queen in the living room. She's holding a picture and Emma knows very well which one it is. It's a photo of Regina and Henry that was taken before Regina used the serum. The Queen is looking at it with the softest smile Emma has seen. She doesn't look like the person that tried to make Henry kill a man. The blonde swore that she'd never forgive her for that but it feels like she's looking at a completely different person.

"He still wants to help you, you know," she says and the Queen jumps and almost drops the photo. Emma is surprised. She knows Regina is easy to startle but she never thought the same holds true for her other half as well.

The Queen stares at her, unsure of what to do. "I know," she says finally. "He's always believed in me." She gives the blonde a bitter smile. "I always disappoint him." A loud crack comes from the fireplace as if something inside broke.

"It doesn't have to be that way." Emma moves a bit closer. "Give me the scroll."

The Queen shakes her head. "I can't."

"This has nothing to do with my parents, Re–" Emma stops herself. She almost called the Queen Regina. She certainly acts like Regina back in the days when she was struggling to change for Henry's sake. "I know it sounds self-serving but this is about Henry."

The brunette nods. "That's why I can't give you the scroll."

"Wha–"

"I'm trying to do what's best for Henry. I'm trying to keep Regina alive."

Emma doesn't like the sound of that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Rumple will come after me and the only way to kill me is to kill Regina."

"You don't really think he will–"

The Queen gives her a pointed look. They both know he will do it.

"We'll deal with him," Emma says with the confidence that's typical for heroes and the Queen rolls her eyes.

"I'm not taking that risk."

Emma sighs at the Queen's stubbornness. "Belle can talk to him."

The brunette shakes her head in a way that makes Emma's blood freeze.

"What have you done?"

"I can't let him find Regina." The Queen's gaze drops to the fireplace. There, among the flames, is Ingrid's scroll.


	3. DISCONTINUED

After long consideration, I have decided to discontinue this story. I'm sorry, guys, but I just don't feel the muse for this particular piece anymore. It was a spontaneous idea which I did not think through. I'm now working on other projects and I don't want to torture neither myself, nor you because of this story anymore so that will be the end. If I feel inspired again (which I seriously doubt) I might finish it but I wouldn't bet on it.


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